This invention relates to slings for optionally supporting a person's left or right arm.
Arm slings are extensively used whenever a person must protect and/or support his or her arm following an injury or sickness. A variety of arm slings is currently available on the market, and an even larger number of sling designs is known in the art as is exemplified, for example, by U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,594,809 and 4,285,337. Such arm slings have the common characteristic of forming a pouch into which the person's forearm can be placed so that his hand extends partially or fully from a front end of the pouch. A strap secured to the pouch adjacent its front and aft ends is slung over the person's shoulder so that the weight of the arm is supported by the pouch and the strap while the arm is kept in a protected manner close to the person's torso.
Typically, the pouches of prior art arm slings have a closed aft end and the strap, which is relatively wide to avoid undue pressure when it is draped over the person's shoulder and carries the weight of the arm, is secured, e.g. sewn, to an aft wall of the pouch which is oriented transversely to side panels of the pouch. The other end of the strap is suitably secured to the front end of the pouch, often with buckles, pins and the like, to facilitate the application of the arm sling and make the strap adjustable in length. The pouches and/or straps are frequently made of relatively stiff and strong material to render them more rigid, a feature which is at times enhanced by incorporating stiffening plates or the like into portions of the panel such as, for example, its lower base.
Prior art arm slings are fully capable of supporting the person's arm and frequently provide a degree of protection for the arm as well. By virtue of their construction they are, however, not longitudinally symmetrical and/or are not identical when worn on the left or the right arm. Further, they are relatively complex and, therefore, costly to produce. Moreover, when not in use, such slings are bulky and impractical to store in a small place and/or carry around; for example, in one's pocket for use when needed.